Save the Date(51)

He’d texted me as I was changing into my rehearsal dinner dress—deep midnight blue, with a low neck, and a twirly, swingy skirt.

Mike

Hey can’t make rehearsal see you at the dinner

As I read it, a wave of annoyance crested over me—because not only was Mike bailing, but he was expecting me to be the one to tell everyone about it. I’d sent it to the group text with the rest of my siblings and found that when I came downstairs, Linnie seemed more resigned than angry. “The bridesmaids are MIA,” she said with a shrug. “And Rodney’s cousin Marcus can’t come until later. So it’s not that big a deal.”

But I felt it was, and even though Mike wasn’t the reason the rehearsal wasn’t going well, if he’d been here, there would have at least been one less unknown for tomorrow. After a few attempts, Will gave up on the rehearsal and suggested we just head over for the dinner. My mother had made sure that all the guests remaining behind were fed—Aunt Liz had promised to help keep things humming, and reorder pizza as needed—and we’d all caravanned over to the Inn.

Since we were pretty early, the private room in the restaurant was still being set up for us—but I’d texted with Bill and he’d assured me that everything was on track with the decorations. So while we waited, we were hanging out in the lobby.

I saw Linnie and Rodney standing over by the bar, with both sets of parents and Rodney’s older sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, and once I’d verified they were not in earshot, I turned back to J.J. “I just hope everything goes okay tomorrow,” I said, shaking my head.

“It’s going to go great,” someone said as they bumped me with their hip. I turned around, startled, and the next thing I knew, I was being hugged from both sides, enveloped in a cloud of perfume and spearmint gum by two of the bridesmaids—Jenny K. and Priya. When they stepped back, I saw Jenny W. standing slightly apart, and she gave me a smile.

There were five bridesmaids altogether, including me and Elizabeth, but it had never been a question that the Jennys and Priya would be in Linnie’s wedding party—they’d been best friends since Dartmouth.

“Hey, guys,” I said, but that was all I managed before they started talking over me.

“You look so great!” Priya said, running her hands through my hair, pulling it forward over my shoulders, then pushing it back. “Jen, doesn’t she look so great?”

“She does,” Jenny K. agreed, smiling at me. I’d never understood it, but the three of them always seemed to know who was talking to whom, despite the fact that two of them had the same name. People got the Jennys confused occasionally, which made no sense to me, since Jenny Kang was taller and curvy and Jenny Wellerstein was tiny and whip-thin. Priya Koorse fell somewhere in between the two of them, both in height and in temperament.

I’d gotten to know them all over the last ten years—they’d sometimes join Rodney in coming to our house for holidays, or would just show up with Linnie on a random weekend, the four of them driving down from Hanover, all of them saying they couldn’t stand to be in New Hampshire for a moment longer.

“Did you get a haircut?” Jenny W. asked. “I love it!”

“No—”

“I liked it better longer,” Jenny K. said, which was pretty much par for the course—the two of them could argue about anything, with Priya and Linnie playing peacemaker.

“Did you guys come from the house?” I asked, looking around and not seeing any suitcases. “You get settled in okay?”

“Yes,” Priya said, then rolled her eyes. “But Jenny is worried that having roommates is going to crimp her pickup prospects.” I was about to ask which one when Jenny W. smiled at that and smoothed down her sweater.

“What can I say?” she said, giving me a wink. “I’ve always had good luck at weddings. If you know what I mean.”

“We always know what you mean,” Jenny K. said, rolling her eyes. “And like I told you, you’re not going to find anyone dateable at this wedding.”

“I beg to differ,” J.J. said, smiling widely at them.

“Oh, hey, J.J.,” Jenny K. said. “I didn’t see you there.”

“I bet you ladies might enjoy the attentions of a younger man. Well, not you, Priya,” he said to Priya, who’d gotten engaged last year. “But these ladies, perhaps?” His voice was getting lower with every syllable, to the point where he now sounded like a baritone. Jenny K. just laughed, but I couldn’t help noticing that Jenny W. looked intrigued. “Anyone want a ride on the J train?”

“Okay, stop it,” I said, giving J.J. a shove, which he returned.

“Who needs a drink?” Priya asked, already taking a step toward the bar. I was about to ask for a Diet Coke when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Siobhan

Hey! Two simultaneous situations going on.

Need to talk to you about tomorrow

And also

MY FUTURE ROOMMATE IS THE WORST CALL ME

I had just started to text her back as Danny came to join us, a drink in each hand.

“Hello,” Danny said, leaning over to kiss the bridesmaids’ cheeks. “I thought it suddenly seemed more exciting in here. How are the Jennys tonight?” He held one of the drinks out to me. “Here.”

“Is that my drink?” I asked. I locked my phone and dropped it in my bag. I’d text Siobhan later. I took a sip and smiled. I didn’t like real Cherry Coke, but whenever I was somewhere with an actual bartender, I ordered a Diet Coke with grenadine and extra maraschino cherries.